Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 105 Part 1.djvu/42

 105 STAT. 14 PUBLIC LAW 102-4—FEB. 6, 1991 (2) The Academy shall include in its reports under subsection (g) a full discussion of the scientific evidence and reasoning that led to its conclusions under this subsection. (e) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL SCIENTIFIC STUDIES.— The Academy shall make any recommendations it has for additional scientific studies to resolve areas of continuing scientific uncertainty relating to herbicide exposure. In making recommendations for further study, the Academy shall consider the scientific information that is currently available, the value and relevance of the information that could result from additional studies, and the cost and feasibility of carrying out such additional studies. (f) SUBSEQUENT REVIEWS.—An agreement under subsection (b) shall require the National Academy of Sciences— (1) to conduct as comprehensive a review as is practicable of the evidence referred to in subsection (c) that became available since the last review of such evidence under this section; and (2) to make its determinations and estimates on the basis of the results of such review and all other reviews conducted for the purposes of this section. (g) REPORTS. — (1) The agreement between the Secretary and the National Academy of Sciences shall require the Academy to transmit to the Secretary and the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives periodic written reports regarding the Academy's activities under the agreement. Such reports shall be submitted at least once every two years (as measured from the date of the first report). (2) The first report under this subsection shall be transmitted not later than the end of the 18-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. That report shall include (A) the determinations and discussion referred to in subsection (d), (B) any recommendations of the Academy under subsection (e), and (C) the recommendation of the Academy as to whether the provisions of each of sections 6 through 9 should be implemented by the Secretary. In making its recommendation with respect to each such section, the Academy shall consider the scientific information that is currently available, the value and relevance of the information that could result from implementing that section, and the cost and feasibility of implementing that section. If the Academy recommends that the provisions of section 6 should be implemented, the Academy shall also recommend the means by which clinical data referred to in that section could be maintained in the most scientifically useful way. (h) LIMITATION ON AUTHORITY,—The authority to enter into agreements under this section shall be effective for a fiscal year to the extent that appropriations are available. (i) SUNSET.— Th is section shall cease to be effective 10 years after the last day of the fiscal year in which the National Academy of Sciences transmits to the l^ecretary the first report under subsection (g). 0') ALTERNATIVE CONTRACT SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATION. —I f the Secretary is unable within the time period prescribed in subsection (b) to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences for the purposes of this section on terms acceptable to the Secretary, the Secretary shall seek to enter into an agreement for the purposes of this section with another appropriate scientific organization that is not part of the Government and operates as a not-for-profit entity and that has expertise and objectivity comparable to that of the

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